Albany, NY — New York state agencies must conduct reviews and publish reports detailing how they use artificial intelligence software under a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Hochul, a Democrat, signed the bill last week after it passed the state Legislature earlier this year.
The law requires state agencies to conduct an evaluation of any software that uses algorithms, computational models or AI technology and then submit those reviews to the governor and top legislative leaders, along with posting them online.
It also prohibits the use of AI in certain situations, such as automated decisions about whether someone should receive unemployment benefits or child care assistance, unless a human continuously monitors the system.
Additionally, state workers may be protected by law from having their work hours or duties restricted by AI.
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, a Democrat who introduced the bill, said the law is an important step toward setting some guardrails on how emerging technologies are used in state government.
